Pennsylvania State University: A Comprehensive Overview

The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public, state-related, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities located throughout Pennsylvania. Its administrative and research hub is located at the University Park campus. Penn State also has 23 additional locations across Pennsylvania and Penn State World Campus, which provides online degree offerings.

Historical Development

Penn State was founded on February 22, 1855, by act P.L. 46, No. 50 of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania. The institution admitted its first class in 1859. In 1862, the school's name was changed to the Agricultural College of Pennsylvania. In 1863, the Pennsylvania legislature designated Penn State as the Commonwealth's sole land-grant institution. This designation broadened the University's mission to include teaching, research, and public service in many academic disciplines. In 1953, the institution assumed its current name, The Pennsylvania State University.

Early Years and Transformation

Centre County, Pennsylvania, became the home of the new school when James Irvin of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, donated 200 acres (80.9 ha) of land - the first of 10,101 acres (4,088 ha) the school would eventually acquire. By 1875, enrollment fell to 64 undergraduates, and the school attempted to balance its primary focus on agricultural studies with classic education. In 1882, George W. Atherton became president, and the school began to grow, with enrollment reaching over 800 students by 1890. A major road in State College was later named in Atherton's honor.

Growth and Evolution

In the 20th century, Penn State grew significantly, becoming the largest grantor of baccalaureate degrees in Pennsylvania. In 1936, its enrollment reached 5,000. Around this time, Ralph D. Hetzel served as president. President Dwight D. Eisenhower sought and won permission to elevate the school to university status. Under Eisenhower's successor, Eric A. Walker, the university expanded further. In the 1970s, the university became a state-related institution, leading to its membership in the Commonwealth System of Higher Education.

Modern Era

In 1998, the university launched Penn State World Campus, or Penn State Online, which offers more than 60 online education programs, degrees, and certificates. Distance education has a long history at Penn State, one of the first universities in the country to offer a correspondence course for remote farmers in 1892.

University Status and Governance

Penn State has awarded more than a half-million degrees and has been Pennsylvania's largest source of baccalaureate degrees at least since the 1930s. Although the University is privately chartered by the Commonwealth, it was from the outset considered an instrumentality of the state, that is, it carries out many of the functions of a public institution and promotes the general welfare of the citizenry. The Governor and other representatives of the Commonwealth have held seats on Penn State's Board of Trustees since the University's founding, and the legislature has made regular appropriations in support of the University's mission since 1887.

Today Penn State is one of four state-related universities (along with the University of Pittsburgh, Temple University, and Lincoln University), institutions that are not state-owned and -operated but that have the character of public universities and receive substantial state appropriations.

Board of Trustees

The 32-member board of trustees governs the university. Its members include the university's president, the Governor of the Commonwealth, and the state Secretaries of Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources, and Education. The other members include six trustees appointed by the Governor, nine elected by alumni, and six elected by Pennsylvania agricultural societies. Six additional trustees are elected by a board representing business and industry enterprises. Undergraduate students do not elect any trustees. As of 2013, the chair of the board of trustees was Keith E. Masser.

University President

The university president is selected by the board and is given the authority for actual control of the university, including day-to-day management. In practice, part of this responsibility is delegated by the president to other administrative departments, the faculty, and the student body. Neeli Bendapudi became the university's 19th and current president on May 9, 2022, upon the departure of Eric J. Barron. The executive vice president and provost is the chief academic officer of the university. The current provost is Nicholas P. Jones.

Academics and Programs

Penn State offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and professional degrees and offers continuing education programs. Overall, Penn State offers more than 225 programs of study for undergraduates. Graduate programs at the University Park campus also cover a wide range of fields, including acoustics, apply statistics, as your biology, counselor education, educational leadership, fuel science, health policy and administration, industrial engineering, mathematics, music, nursing, plant pathology, world sociology, teacher certification, wildlife and fisheries science, and youth and family education. Graduate programs are also offered at the Erie campus, the Harrisburg campus, the School of Graduate and Professional Studies campus, and the College of Medicine. A few graduate programs, primarily in education, are also available through the online world campus.

Read also: History of the Block 'M'

The university’s strongest academic programs are in the technical and scientific fields, primarily life sciences, engineering, agriculture, and the earth sciences. Other quality programs include geography, chemistry, mathematics, and business.

Academic Colleges

Penn State has eighteen colleges, including three at special-mission campuses:

Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies in Malvern, is a special mission campus offering master's degrees, graduate certification, and continuing professional education.
Penn State University College of Medicine in Hershey, is the university's medical school and teaching hospital.
Dickinson Law, founded in 1834 as The Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, is the oldest law school in Pennsylvania and the fifth-oldest in the country. Since its founding, its graduates have included several notable attorneys, judges, government and corporate leaders, and legal educators. Dickinson School of Law's 1997 merger with Penn State was completed in 2000.

Admissions

In 2023, the university received 85,957 applications. It extended offers of admission to 46,605 applicants, or 54%, after holistic review that includes examination of academic rigor, performance and admissions test scores. The university started test-optional admissions with the fall 2021 incoming class. Of the 33% of incoming students in 2023 who submitted SAT scores, the interquartile range was 1230-1390; of the 6% of incoming students in 2023 who submitted ACT scores, the interquartile range was 27-32.

For first year admissions, applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent. The average entrant has a high school GPA of 3.51 to 3.90, a SAT score of 1180 to 1340, and an ACT score of 26 to 30. High school GPA accounts for two-thirds of an applicant’s results, while all other factors contribute to the other third. It is strongly recommended that applicants for the fall semester have complete applications filed by November 30 of the prior year. In addition to the application form and fee, students must provide high school transcripts and test scores. Programs such as architecture, music, theatre, visual arts, pre-medicine, the joint science BS/MBA, and the golf management program have special additional requirements.

Penn State University Park is a college-sponsor of the National Merit Scholarship Program and sponsored five Merit Scholarship awards in 2020.

Read also: Legacy of Fordham University

Accreditation and Rankings

Penn State is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The Academic Ranking of World Universities ranked Penn State between 101 and 150th among universities globally and between 42nd and 56th nationally for 2020. In the 2026 edition of Best Colleges, The Pennsylvania State University-University Park is ranked No. #59 in National Universities. It's also ranked No. #26 in Top Public Schools.

Research and Innovation

Penn State is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities - Very high research activity" and is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU). The university has two law schools: Penn State Law on the school's University Park campus and Penn State Dickinson Law in Carlisle. The College of Medicine is in Hershey.

Research Institutes and Centers

The Applied Research Lab (ARL), located near the University Park campus, has been a research partner with the United States Department of Defense since 1945 and conducts research primarily in support of the United States Navy.
The Materials Research Institute (MRI) was created to coordinate the highly diverse and growing materials activities across Penn State's University Park campus.
The university was one of the founding members of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), a partnership that includes 17 research-led universities in the United States, Asia, and Europe.
The university's College of Information Sciences and Technology is the home of CiteSeerX, an open-access repository and search engine for scholarly publications.
The university is also the host to the Radiation Science & Engineering Center, which houses the oldest operating university research reactor.
Additionally, University Park houses the Graduate Program in Acoustics, the only freestanding acoustics program in the United States.
The university also houses the Center for Medieval Studies and the Center for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE).

Campus Life and Student Activities

The largest of the university's 24 campuses, Penn State University Park is located in State College and College Township in Centre County, in central Pennsylvania. Its dedicated ZIP Code is 16802. In addition to the University Park campus, 19 campus locations throughout the commonwealth of Pennsylvania offer enrollment for undergraduate students. Over 60 percent of Penn State first-year students begin their education at a location other than University Park. Each of the 19 commonwealth campuses offer a unique set of degree programs based on the student demographics.

The largest campus in the Penn State system, University Park is home to a diverse population of about 46,000 undergraduate students, with over 14,000 students living on campus. University Park students enjoy passing iconic buildings such as Old Main and the HUB-Robeson Center daily, while also taking advantage of amenities in facilities like the Information Sciences and Technology Building or the Life Sciences Building. Penn State University Park is located in the small city of State College, a quintessential college town with its small eateries and quirky shops that line the street marking the border between downtown and campus. First-year students admitted to University Park are required to live on campus as part of the offer of admission and are guaranteed housing. The majority of students are assigned to double rooms in traditional residence halls but can also be assigned to double rooms in renovated residence halls, suites, or supplemental housing.

Housing

There are seven housing complexes on campus for students attending the University Park campus: East Halls, North Halls, Pollock Halls, South Halls, West Halls, Eastview Terrace, and Nittany Apartments. Different floors within a building may be designated as a Living Learning Community (LLC). Dormitory living is a requirement for all first year students.

Student Organizations

As of September 2014, 864 student organizations were recognized at the University Park campus. In addition, the university has one of the largest Greek systems in the country, with approximately 12 percent of the University Park population affiliated. Penn State has a long history of student governance. Within the campus, a student government is a set of elected positions by the student body to represent the students with relations with the university.

THON

Annually in February, thousands of students participate in the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON). Started in 1973 with 78 participants, THON has grown to become the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. Every year, participants stand for 46 hours nonstop and perform a line dance at least once every hour to stay alert alongside other events hosted throughout the weekend such as concerts, games, athlete hour, family hour, and a tribute to all of the children with cancer. In 2007, THON was moved to the Bryce Jordan Center and shortened from 48 to 46 hours, due to potential conflicts with basketball games. THON raises millions of dollars annually for childhood cancer care and research for its sole beneficiary, Four Diamonds.

The Lion's Pantry

The Lion's Pantry is an undergraduate student-run on-campus food pantry and registered student organization. The Lion's Pantry serves undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. With increasing awareness of hunger on college campuses, the Lion's Pantry is one of the nation's most successful startup food pantries. They partner with groups ranging from Boulevard, UPUA, Greek Life, and more to receive over 8,000 food donations a year.

Transportation and Safety

The campus is accessible via Interstate 80 and Route 322. Today, the nearest Amtrak passenger rail access is in Tyrone, 25 miles to the southwest. Intercity bus service to University Park is provided by Fullington Trailways, Greyhound Lines, Megabus, and OurBus.

Twenty-two of Penn State's campuses are served by Penn State University Police and Public Safety. In addition to being a full-service police department, the department also has specialized units such as K9, criminal investigation, bike patrol, a bomb squad, and drones. Penn State University Park is also served by the Penn State University Ambulance Service, known as Centre County Company 20. Penn State EMS is a full-service, licensed ambulance service, staffed by student EMTs. The ambulance is staffed around the clock, with the exception of the school's annual winter break, when it goes out of service.

Media

The Daily Collegian, founded in 1904, provides news and information to the Penn State community.

Athletics

The university competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the NCAA for most of its athletic teams, known collectively as the Penn State Nittany Lions. The Penn State Nittany Lions have won 56 NCAA team national championships, as well as 36 national team titles in current and former NCAA sports that were not bestowed by the NCAA.

The athletic department fields twenty-nine varsity teams in NCAA Division I, with baseball, basketball, cross-country, diving, fencing, football, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track & field, volleyball, and wrestling for men and basketball, cross-country, diving, fencing, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field, and volleyball for women.

Sports facilities include Beaver Stadium, which has capacity of 107,282 seats, a multipurpose building, golf courses, baseball and softball fields, a tennis center, and a center for basketball. The Nittany Lion mascot dates back to the early 1900s, when the term “nittany” (which means ‘mountain’ in a native American language) was applied to a local wildcat. The campus is home to the Nittany Lion Shrine, a likeness of the lion carved into limestone, where students gather for spirit events.

Controversies

Penn State has been the subject of controversy for several issues.

In 2011, the university and its football program garnered international media attention and criticism in a sex abuse scandal in which university officials were alleged to have covered up incidents of child sexual abuse by former football team defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. Athletic director Timothy Curley and Gary Schultz, senior vice president for finance and business, were indicted for perjury. In the wake of the scandal, Coach Joe Paterno was fired and school president Graham B. Spanier was forced to resign by the board of trustees.

On February 2, 2017, Timothy Piazza, a pledge of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity located off-campus in State College, died while undergoing hazing activities at the fraternity. Eighteen members of Penn State's Beta Theta Pi fraternity were initially charged in connection with Piazza's death, and the fraternity was closed and banned indefinitely.

tags: #University #Park #Pennsylvania #information